Page 124 of Illicit Games

“I’m asking you to do this because it’s the right thing to do. Don’t assume it’ll make you earn my forgiveness.”

“But it’s a start,” she murmurs hopefully, while her fingers dig into the edges of the dining table. “It has to be. Please don’t kick me out.”

I say nothing, turning her expression crestfallen.

Letting go of the table, she nervously rounds it, taking a step toward me. A scraping noise pierces the air before Iris’s calm voice soothes the tension.

“You need to give him space to process, Sonya.”

My mother’s face swings in her direction as Iris picks up the diary and struts to her. Pressing it into her palms until she accepts it, Iris firmly but politely says, “This is all too much. It must be the same for you. Wait until he’s ready to call you. Okay?”

My mother sighs before nodding. Peering at me once more, she says, “We may be strangers to each other, but I do love you, sweet boy. Take all the time you need. If you never wish to see me again after I’ve helped, I’ll respect your decision and leave.”

She exits the room. A few seconds later, I hear the front door shut.

Iris walks over to me and wraps her arms around my waist tightly. I hug her back, exhaling roughly.

“How do you feel, love?” she asks.

“I have answers to all the questions that plagued my mind. All I feel is hurt and betrayed. She says she loves me, but it was so easy for her to walk away from me and never look back.” It stings. “I’ve seen the way your parents love you, Rainbow. They would never do what she did, even if the odds were against them. They’ll fight for you. I wish I were lucky enough to have parents like them.”

“You do.” Pulling back, she props her chin on my chest and stares at me protectively. “My mom and dad love you, Kian. My family is yours. You’re not alone.”

No, I’m not alone.

I have my girl.

She’s all I need.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Iris

It’s been a week since Kian confronted his mother. He hasn’t mentioned her since nor has he allowed her to return to his place after talking with the cleaning service company and getting her switched with someone else.

I haven’t brought up the topic because honestly, I’m still trying to come to terms with it myself. Never in my wildest dreams did I think Sonya would turn out to be his biological mother. Unless you looked very closely at the older version of her, you wouldn’t see even a minor resemblance to Kian. It became obvious she wears lenses to conceal the real color of her eyes, which is a dead giveaway to her connection with her son.

She put her all into disguising herself all these years. Hell, I believe she would’ve been content watching him from afar had he not uncovered her identity. So, it’s understandable why Kian is distrustful of her.

I knew her story would be tragic, but listening to it in person broke my heart into pieces. A mother and son were torn apart just to avoid a scandal by a selfish man.

What’s the point of maintaining a respected reputation if your core is ugly and wretched? It’s unfathomable to me how low these rich men can stoop. I’m so glad Kian didn’t turn out to be like them.

Uncovering the torn chapter from Sonya’s diary didn’t bring any satisfaction. I feel like we opened up a can of worms. Kian hasn’t said anything, but I know he’s devastated by the role his grandfather played in his broken childhood, a man whom he deeply respected.

I’m starting to detest every single man in the Singhania clan, except for my Kian.

Since I don’t want to rush him in processing the truth about his birth mother, I’ve been distracting him by planning little dates for us. God knows we both need lighthearted moments between us.

Last month was extremely rough for me with the loss of mydadu. Through it all, Kian was by my side while I grieved and slowly accepted the new reality. Now it’s him going through something difficult, and I want to get him through this.

I might also have a secret mission, which is to show him there’s more to life than work. In all the years of building his empire, he’s never done anything just for fun.

And no, I’m not counting reading books as one. Even if he looks sexy as hell in those glasses, making me jump his bones each time. All he needs to do is put them on anywhere and anytime to turn me into a horny mess.

Since it risks me losing the ability to walk—not that I’m complaining, but still, self-preservation—I planned activities to do outside of our home. I’m having the time of my life. So far,we’ve gone to a museum, bowling at the mall, wine tasting, and a couples massage.

The last got canceled as soon as Kian realized the masseuse was a man. I sure as heck wasn’t going to allow a woman either, since she’ll get a front-row seat to stare at my man in all his ripped glory. Couples massages are definitely not in our future.